Celebrating Excellence

Jessica Deamer Wines New Talent Award

In the realm of financial advice, recognizing emerging talent is not just a matter of acknowledging potential; it’s about celebrating the dedication, innovation, and commitment that these individuals bring to their craft. Today, we are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our very own Jessica Deamer for clinching the prestigious New Talent Award at the 2023 National ASTRUM Awards.

The New Talent Award stands as a beacon for excellence in the financial advisory sphere, spotlighting those individuals who have demonstrated exceptional prowess despite their relatively short tenure in the industry. This accolade underscores not just the potential but the tangible impact that young professionals like Jessica are making in their field.

Jessica’s journey to this achievement is a testament to her unwavering dedication, tireless work ethic, and passion for providing quality advice to her clients. In her impactful career, she has showcased a remarkable ability to navigate complex financial landscapes, offering insights and strategies that resonate with her clients’ needs and aspirations.

What truly sets Jessica apart is her unwavering commitment to excellence. Beyond just meeting the basic requirements of her role, she consistently goes above and beyond, leveraging her expertise to empower her clients and guide them towards financial success. Her approach is characterized by a rare blend of empathy, integrity, and astuteness, making her not just a financial adviser but a trusted partner in her clients’ financial journeys.

We at Crest are truly proud of Jessica’s achievement, and eagerly anticipate witnessing the continued success and contributions of Jessica and other emerging talents like her in the years to come.

Congratulations to Jessica Deamer for her nomination in the 2023 Women in Finance Awards!

We are extremely proud to announce that Jessica Deamer has once again been selected as a finalist in the Women in Finance Awards. These awards are designed to recognise the best and brightest women operating in the financial sector. They set a benchmark for excellence across Australia, consistently acknowledging the outstanding contributions women make to the finance industry and profession year after year.

Jessica’s ongoing recognition is a testament to all the hard work she has put in, not only over the past year but throughout her entire career, consistently delivering excellence to provide the best results for Crest Financial Services’ clients. Jessica was among the nine finalists for the ‘Regional Professional’ award. This is not the first time her name has been mentioned as a distinguished woman working in the industry. In 2022, she was a finalist in the ‘Financial Planner’ category.

To celebrate Jessica’s excellent achievement, our team went to Sydney to attend the awards night. This was a fantastic opportunity to recognise Jessica’s hard work and leadership and to interact with other professionals in the sector who are working to make a difference.

Jessica started at Crest in 2015 as a junior paraplanner and, over the past eight years, has developed into an outstanding financial adviser. She provides advice across a wide range of areas and has also developed specialist skills and experience in retirement advice, self-managed super funds (SMSF), aged care, and taxation. Her professionalism and hard work have opened up opportunities at Crest in leadership roles, and she is currently training future advisers and back-office staff, as well as recruiting new employees.

Congratulations again to Jessica for this well-deserved recognition, and everyone at Crest looks forward to her continued success.

Jordan, Mitchell and Thomas pass the ASIC Financial Adviser Exam!

In a significant milestone for their professional development, we are excited to announce that Jordan, Mitchell, and Thomas have successfully passed the ASIC Financial Adviser Exam as part of their professional year.

The ASIC Financial Adviser Exam is a crucial component of the certification process for aspiring financial advisers in Australia. It assesses candidates’ knowledge and understanding of ethical principles, regulatory frameworks, and professional conduct standards that govern the financial services sector.

Their success in their first attempt at the exam demonstrates their dedication and commitment to bettering themselves in order to grow professionally both as individuals and within the Crest team. It is with great anticipation that we await their future contributions to the industry and the positive impact they will have on their clients’ financial journeys.

Congratulations Jordan, Mitchell, and Thomas!

Professional Development

At Crest Financial Services, we are committed to providing the highest level of service to our clients. To achieve this goal, we believe in the importance of ongoing professional development and staying up-to-date with the latest industry insights and best practices.

Recently, our advice team (6 financial planners and 3 Professional Year Candidates) had the opportunity to attend a professional development day in the Sydney CBD. The event featured a range of sessions and workshops, focusing on different aspects of investing and technical strategies as they relate to financial planning advice; it was a great opportunity for our team to build on their existing expertise.

The day included legislative and investment updates from a range of well-respected industry experts. There was a wide range of sessions covering topics such as Australian demographics, tax planning strategies, retirement income options, and investment management styles.

There were also 3 practical peer-to-peer sessions that were run by financial planners from across NSW, each sharing their own companies’ experience and insights into providing professional financial planning advice to a wide range of Australians.  Our very own Rhys Higgins (Financial Planner/Director at Crest) presented a well-received session, detailing Crest’s experience in providing financial planning advice throughout regional NSW, specifically Gunnedah, Port Stephens, Newcastle, and the Hunter Valley.

One of the highlights of the day was a panel discussion on the topic of Global investment markets, it was interesting to see the forecasts and insights provided by several senior investment professionals.

Throughout the day, we also had the opportunity to network with over 150 financial planners from all across NSW. The team enjoyed exchanging ideas and learning about how others are approaching the provision of professional financial planning advice.

Overall, attending this professional development day was an incredibly valuable experience for our team and worth the time and financial commitments.  We look forward to augmenting our current professional planning service with the insights and knowledge gained on the day.

Congratulations to Jessica Deamer for her nomination in the 2022 Women in Finance Awards

We are extremely proud to announce that our very own Jessica Deamer has been nominated for the ‘Financial Adviser of the Year’ in this year’s Women in Finance Awards. The Women in Finance Awards are designed to recognise the best and brightest women in the financial sector. The Women in Finance Awards are the benchmark for excellence around Australia, and year after year recognises the outstanding contribution women make to the finance profession, propelling the industry forward.

This is certainly a fitting acknowledgement of all of the hard work Jessica has put in, not only over the last year, but throughout her entire career as she has worked to provide the best results for the clients of Crest Financial Services. Jessica started at Crest in 2015 as a junior paraplanner and over the past 7 years has developed into an outstanding financial adviser.  She provides advice across a wide range of areas and also has developed specialist skills and experience in the areas of retirement advice, self-managed super funds (SMSF), aged care, and taxation.

The directors have made a special mention that they are proud of this recent acknowledgement and recognition that Jessica has received from her peers, clients, and the industry as a whole. They are also delighted that the nomination was submitted (unprompted) by a number of her clients, which is a further testimony to her dedication, hard work and professionalism.

The awards ceremony will be held at The Star in Sydney on the 3rd of November later this year. A group from the Crest Financial Services team will be attending the function to celebrate Jessica’s achievements and hopefully heading back up the M1 with a trophy!

Congratulations again to Jessica for this recognition and everyone at Crest looks forward to her continued success.

Three more Graduates!

As Crest continues to grow, we take great pride in nurturing and guiding the next generation of Financial Advisers.

Recently, three of our experienced Paraplanners, completed and graduated from their respective studies. All three have worked tirelessly over the past three years in balancing their education with their careers at Crest.

Mitchell Brown graduated on the 17th of May from Kaplan Professional with a Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.

Jacob Lyons and Jordan Mackellar were also awarded their degrees, graduating from the University of Newcastle on the 14th of April. Both completed their Commerce degrees with Jordan majoring in Finance and Accounting, and Jacob majoring in Finance.

We look forward to continuing to support Mitchell, Jordan, and Jacob in their chosen careers and look forward to watching their bright futures unfold.

2021 Staff Member of the Year

In December 2021, Crest held its end-of-year staff celebrations for employees (albeit with restricted numbers and activities due to Covid-19). The event was held at the Viet King Restaurant and a great afternoon was had by all. Proceedings for the afternoon, amongst many, included the anticipated announcement of the Staff Member of the Year and runner-up for 2021.

The Crest Directors voted Thomas Hoy as the Staff Member of the Year. Thomas was recognised for continuing to work hard in his role as a Paraplanner whilst taking on the extra responsibility and increased workload of an associate adviser. He was rewarded for going above and beyond to provide positive client outcomes, during a very disjointed and difficult year.

Samuel Gladys was recognised by the directors as runner-up for his overall personal growth and motivation, as well as his outstanding efforts to enhance and grow Crest Mortgages & Finance.

While special mention and recognition was made on the day, the Crest Directors also acknowledged how thankful they were on behalf of their clients, for the dedication, perseverance, and hard work shown by the entire Crest Team, throughout the year.

Congratulations Thomas and Samuel!

Another addition to the Tynan Family

All of us here at Crest would like to extend our congratulations to Cameron, Sarah, and Cillian on the healthy birth of the newest member of their family; Arland.

From all reports everyone is doing well, only Cillian is a tad jealous of all the attention his new baby brother has been getting.

Arland is home and settling in very quickly. We wish the Tynan family well and look forward to watching little Arland grow.

Congratulations Wayne!

Our newest member of our advice family here at Crest, Wayne Cadman, has decided to announce his retirement and move into the next phase of his life. After almost 40 years in the financial planning industry, he has certainly earned this right and we wish him all the best!

Before his merger with Crest Financial Services, Wayne had a long-standing presence in the NSW North-West region, offering valuable advice to clients from all stages of life under his business name “Wayne Cadman & Associates”.

As well as providing financial advice, Wayne has developed wonderful relationships with many of his clients over the years. He takes great pride in knowing that his clients will continue receiving quality tailored advice well into the future.

Wayne can now take the opportunity to take his motorbike out and see Australia’s beautiful countryside. We wish him all the best in the future and hope that retirement will offer many new opportunities which we know he will embrace wholeheartedly.

Congratulations again Wayne!

Congratulations on Retirement Mark!

After 40 years of service within the financial planning industry, Mark Prior, a beloved member of our Crest family has decided to take his own advice and move on to the next phase of his life – retirement.

Crest Financial Services has been a long-standing presence in Newcastle, providing quality financial advice for over 20 years. Mark has been with Crest since the beginning and has remained a significant part of our culture, offering valuable advice to clients from all stages of life. Mark and his lovely wife Kim can now take the opportunity to hook the caravan up and see what our beautiful country has to offer. We wish him all the best in the future and hope that retirement will offer many new opportunities which we know he will embrace wholeheartedly. Congratulations again Mark!